Has anyone tested the supplied wall-wart?

[nanZor]

Is it wise to power a > $500 scanner with a $2 switching wall-wart?

This makes me wonder how many people are running the SDS200 from a quality dc source, or are betting the farm that the $2 switching supply is of enough quality to run with for years? Has anyone tested that wall wart for regulation, filtering, and the like? At the very least, is anyone putting this little thing on a spike/noise strip itself?

The question came about from a similar scenario helping a brother out with a TRX-2 that wouldn't power on. The supplied wall-wart was malfunctioning with the TRX-2, but would power a lower current scanner. Who knows if that thing is running unregulated, or is running on the ragged edge as far as current capability goes?

I know I'd be running a >$600 scanner on a well regulated dc supply personally, and not a wall-wart. Could this be a contributing factor to any problems?

On a side note with the mobile dc cable, like all fused cables, I always exercise them by pulling and re-inserting the fuse perhaps when new and once a year afterwards just to make sure no oxidation is causing a voltage drop across the fuse itself.

 

[jonwienke]

The one that comes with the 536 doesn't seem to have any significant RFI issues.

 

[JD21960]

Every wall-wart today is a $2.00 chinese thing. The other thread you referred to with the TRX-1 - WS1080 issues ... those have no wall-wart. Just that USB cord that powers the Whistlers or batteries. I sometimes have that WS1080 plugged into my $600 Panamax line-conditioner with USB adapter. It shows voltage and has more features. I have had it since 1998 for my high-end stereo. No cheapo "strips" here. There's no wall-wart issue here

 

[nanZor]

jon - I'm wondering not so much about rfi, but voltage regulation, and ac filtering. Like is there a major voltage drop at the input to the '200 when it is turned on? How about ripple? Possible ground loops with it, and so forth.

Johnny - cool, we should probably pick it up in those trx threads...

 

[MisterLongwire]

From at bbn least 50 different scanners, most unidens and Bearcats and Regency's, not on has has issue with the wall wart. Where are you guys getting your radios? Are you guys chewing through your cables due to boredom? Are you flinging the AC adaptors at your significant other to chase them out of your room? WTH!

 

[Anderegg]

Have there been a secret batch of scanners dying every day due to wall warts? I power 4 WS1098's from a single small Uniden wall wart that I spliced 4 Whistler connectors onto...damn scanners don't draw that much juice when feeding line out to my PC.

Paul

 

[pb_lonny]

I have always used the adapter which was supplied. Over 70 scanners / radios later, never had an issue...

 

[KK4JUG]

The only problem I've ever had with "wall warts" is the listed amperage vs. actual amperage. Frequently, the actual amperage is less, sometimes significantly. Now I measure the amperage with a multimeter and mark it on the case with a silver Sharpie.

 

[StaticDischarge]

The only problem I've ever had with "wall warts" is the listed amperage vs. actual amperage. Frequently, the actual amperage is less, sometimes significantly. Now I measure the amperage with a multimeter and mark it on the case with a silver Sharpie.

I'll almost bet the wall wart internals will give you that amperage but the output cable is too thin to handle the load.
Found that out with a raspberry pi supply. It was throttling and throwing the lightning bolt on the screen but the supply that came with it was a 4 amp? Tested for voltage drop and it was high end to end so I replaced the cable with a heavier one and problem solved..

 

[KK4JUG]

You might very well be right.

 

[jonwienke]

jon - I'm wondering not so much about rfi, but voltage regulation, and ac filtering. Like is there a major voltage drop at the input to the '200 when it is turned on? How about ripple? Possible ground loops with it, and so forth.

If there was significant voltage drop, RFI, or ripple, there would be complaints about intermittent hanging, boot failure, and reception interference. So those are non-issues IMO.

The wall warts' output is not connected to either AC input pin, or you could connect the chassis to 120VAC by plugging it in the wrong way. That would be a major shock hazard, and would smoke radios on the regular. So that's not a concern.

Lastly, switching power supplies run cooler than linear designs because they are more efficient and generate less heat, and therefore are going to last longer and be more reliable, all else equal. As long as their design suppresses RFI, there's no reason to get rid of them in favor of a linear supply.

 

[nanZor]

It's not about the linear vs switching tech. It's about trusting an inexpensive black box not to go overvolt if it fails to a pricey radio. Scancat's are one thing. An SDS200 is another matter, especially 5 years from now from those that have been on 24/7. I don't want a catastrophic failure taking it out - although ANY device can have that happen. For all I know, the Uniden wall warts are made of solid gold.

The only way to resolve this is to have jon dremel-tool his open, take pictures and measurements.

On a more serious side, despite the fact that hum issues have been tackled, it makes me wonder if anyone has ever done a test between running from the wart vs the dc-cable input with another supply, and heard any difference at all in any of the hum issues? Maybe a couple of .01uf caps rather than ripping the scanner apart could make a difference, know what I mean? It costs nothing to do if you have a battery or other supply around.

Why? Because I wonder if the R&D types are not testing from the consumer supplied warts, and using their own lab power supplies like they probably would?

No conspiracy suggested! Just a rabid RR user who likes to experiment like we all do, and possibly find a corner-case issue that could be overlooked.

 

[brian943]

Read somewhere specs for those things only apply when under load from the specific device they were made for

 

[StaticDischarge]

On a more serious side, despite the fact that hum issues have been tackled, it makes me wonder if anyone has ever done a test between running from the wart vs the dc-cable input with another supply, and heard any difference at all in any of the hum issues? Maybe a couple of .01uf caps rather than ripping the scanner apart could make a difference, know what I mean? It costs nothing to do if you have a battery or other supply around.

Nope... Hum was present no matter how you fed this beast.. "ripping the scanner apart" as you say is your the best and only option at the present time to remove the hum if you are experiencing it... Think about the mobile users who have complained about this hum.. I'm sure they aren't using an inverter to power the wall wart when you not only get a cigarette outlet plug plus you get a hard-wire cable with the scanner...??

You see, this hum is created by a difference in DC ground potential inside the scanner between two circuit boards (hence Uniden's NM200 "mitigation part" that was installed inside the scanner to connect the two chassis together) and that potential was forced upon the data lines between these boards which in turn affected the audio circuitry. PS.. this "hum" is not 60Hz AC as you may be thinking and have probably experienced, it's the data pulses being forced upon the audio circuit which seems to mimic the pattern of a "60Hz hum"...

Also, if you know anything about capacitors, they pass AC but block DC.. so installing some in turn is doing the same as not performing My SDS200 Hum fix in this instance...

So you have three choices here: live with the hum, "rip the scanner apart" to ground it using My SDS200 Hum fix or don't buy an SDS200..

Just sayin'...

 

[nanZor]

Ah, you ruined my justification for getting a '200 just to do the wall wart test.

Seriously, this is all awesome info which makes me less afraid to go inside should I have to. Was hoping I might have stumbled onto some sort of miracle-cure, but no... Ok, we can put the wart idea to bed now...

Tnx for the info ..

 

[JohnnyGent]

Is it wise to power a > $500 scanner with a $2 switching wall-wart?

This makes me wonder how many people are running the SDS200 from a quality dc source, or are betting the farm that the $2 switching supply is of enough quality to run with for years? Has anyone tested that wall wart for regulation, filtering, and the like? At the very least, is anyone putting this little thing on a spike/noise strip itself?

The question came about from a similar scenario helping a brother out with a TRX-2 that wouldn't power on. The supplied wall-wart was malfunctioning with the TRX-2, but would power a lower current scanner. Who knows if that thing is running unregulated, or is running on the ragged edge as far as current capability goes?

I know I'd be running a >$600 scanner on a well regulated dc supply personally, and not a wall-wart. Could this be a contributing factor to any problems?

On a side note with the mobile dc cable, like all fused cables, I always exercise them by pulling and re-inserting the fuse perhaps when new and once a year afterwards just to make sure no oxidation is causing a voltage drop across the fuse itself.

I am NOT a WISE man, however I've been using a Samsung phone wall wart on my BCD436HP for 4-5 years without issue. The batteries supplied SUCK, so I got kind of "tethered" ......All good in the hood.
Scan on!

 

[Joe_Blough]

So you have three choices here: live with the hum, "rip the scanner apart" to ground it using My SDS200 Hum fix or don't buy an SDS200..

Just sayin'...

Or wait for Uniden to do the fix. LOL! Just kidding. We know they won't. They have abandoned the SDS line of scanners.

 

[StaticDischarge]

Or wait for Uniden to do the fix. LOL! Just kidding. We know they won't. They have abandoned the SDS line of scanners.

You don't know that for sure...